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Aims: To measure the current trends of cannabis use in Germany, measure trends in the proportion of heavy cannabis users and estimate future cannabis use rates. Design: Repeated waves of the Epidemiological Survey on Substance Abuse, a cross-sectional survey conducted between 1995 and 2021 with a two-stage participant selection strategy where respondents completed a survey on substance use delivered through the post, over the telephone or on-line. Setting: Germany. Participants/cases: German-speaking participants aged between 18 and 59 years living in Germany who self-reported on their cannabis use in the past 12 months (n = 78 678). With the application of a weighting scheme, the data are nationally representative. Measurements: Questions on the frequency of cannabis use in the past 12 months and self-reported changes in frequency of use due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings: The prevalence of past 12-month cannabis users increased from 4.4% [95% confidence interval (CI) = 3.7, 5.1] in 1995 to 10.0% (95% CI = 8.9, 11.3) in 2021. Modeling these trends revealed a significant increase that accelerated over the past decade. The proportion of heavy cannabis users [cannabis use (almost) daily or at least 200 times per year] among past-year users has remained steady from 1995 (11.4%, 95% CI = 7.7, 16.5) to 2018 (9.5%, 95% CI = 7.6, 11.9), but significantly increased to 15.7% (95% CI = 13.1, 18.8) in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Extrapolating from these models, the prevalence of 12-month cannabis users in 2024 is expected to range between 10.4 and 15.0%, while the proportion of heavy cannabis users is unclear. Conclusions: Trends from 1995 to 2021 suggest that the prevalence of past 12-month cannabis users in Germany will continue to increase, with expected rates between 10.4 and 15.0% for the German-speaking adult population, and that at least one in 10 cannabis users will continue to use cannabis heavily (almost daily or 200 + times in the past year).

Hintergrund. Deutschland gehörte im Jahr 2019 zu den Ländern mit dem weltweit höchsten Pro-Kopf-Alkoholkonsum, welcher wesentlich zur Krankheitslast beiträgt. Fragestellung. In dieser Modellierungsstudie schätzen wir, wie viele alkoholbedingte inzidente Krankheits- sowie Todesfälle in Deutschland im Jahr 2019 hätten vermieden werden können, wenn die derzeitigen Verbrauchssteuern auf Alkohol um 20%, 50% und 100%erhöht worden wären. Methodik. Ausgangspunkt für die Modellierung sind die spezifischen Verbrauchssteuern auf alkoholische Getränke in Deutschland. Drei Szenarien wurden unter der Annahme, dass die resultierende Steuererhöhung vollständig in den Verkaufspreis übertragen wird, und unter Verwendung von getränkespezifischen Preiselastizitäten modelliert. Mittels des sich daraus ergebenden Rückgangs im jährlichen Pro-Kopf-Konsum und der krankheitsspezifischen Risikofunktionen wurde die vermeidbare alkoholbedingte Inzidenz bzw. Mortalität geschätzt. Berücksichtigt wurden alkoholbedingte Erkrankungen des Herz-Kreislauf- und Verdauungssystems, Alkoholabhängigkeit, Epilepsie, Infektionskrankheiten sowie Verletzungen und Unfälle. Ergebnisse. Insgesamt hätten durch eine Verdoppelung der spezifischen Verbrauchssteuern auf Alkohol im Jahr 2019 bis zu 200.400 alkoholbedingte Erkrankungs- und Verletzungsfälle sowie 2800 Todesfälle vermieden werden können. Dies entspricht knapp 7% der berücksichtigten alkoholbedingten Krankheits- bzw. Todesfälle in Deutschland. Diskussion. Alkoholbedingte Erkrankungen und Verletzungen sind vermeidbar und eine Erhöhung der spezifischen Verbrauchssteuern auf alkoholische Getränke in Deutschland könnte die alkoholbedingte Krankheitslast substanziell reduzieren., Background. In 2019, Germany was among the countries with the highest alcohol per capita consumption in the world, which contributes significantly to the burden of disease. Aim. In this modelling study, we estimate how many alcohol-attributable diseases and deaths in Germany could have been avoided in 2019 if current alcohol excise taxes were increased by 20%, 50%, and 100%. Methods. The starting point for the modelling was the national beverage-specific alcohol taxes. Three scenarios were modelled under the assumption that the resulting tax increase would be fully transferred to the retail prices. Beverage-specific price elasticities were used. Based on the estimated resulting decline in annual per capita consumption and the disease-specific risk functions, we modelled the avoidable incidence and mortality for alcohol-attributable diseases for 2019. Alcohol-attributable diseases of the cardiovascular and digestive systems, alcohol dependence, epilepsy, and infectious diseases as well as injuries and accidentswere considered. Results. Overall, doubling the beveragespecific alcohol taxes could have avoided up to 200,400 alcohol-attributable cases of disease and injury as well as 2800 deaths in Germany in 2019. This corresponds to just under 7% of the modelled new alcohol-attributable cases of disease and death in Germany. Discussion. Alcohol-attributable diseases and injuries are preventable and an increase in the alcohol taxes could substantially reduce the alcohol-attributable burden of disease in Germany.

Aims: The study's aim is to identify and classify the most important alcohol control policies in the Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) and Poland between 2000 and 2020. Methods: Policy analysis of Baltic countries and Poland, predicting potential policy impact on alcohol consumption, all-cause mortality and alcohol-attributable hospitalizations was discussed. Results: All Baltic countries implemented stringent availability restrictions on off-premises trading hours and different degrees of taxation increases to reduce the affordability of alcoholic beverages, as well as various degrees of bans on alcohol marketing. In contrast, Poland implemented few excise taxation increases or availability restrictions and, in fact, reduced stipulations on prior marketing bans. Conclusions: This classification of alcohol control policies in the Baltic countries and Poland provides a basis for future modeling of the impact of implementing effective alcohol control policies (Baltic countries), as well as the effects of loosening such policies (Poland).

Upon the release of the third edition of the book Alcohol: no ordinary commodity, the authors evaluated the implementation of cost-effective alcohol policies in Germany. Method: Current legal regulations and practices addressing four policy areas were reviewed: (1) pricing and taxation policies; (2) regulating physical availability; (3) restrictions of alcohol marketing; and (4) drink-driving countermeasures. Results: Compared to other European countries, excise duties on alcoholic beverages and particularly on beer and wine are low and barely lower alcohol affordability. With few exceptions, alcoholic beverages can be purchased at any time and various retail venues (e. g., grocery stores, petrol stations). Restrictions on alcohol marketing are limited to youth protection and the portrayal of 'abusive' alcohol use. The recommended countermeasures to prevent driving under the influence of alcohol have been largely implemented. Conclusion: Cost-effective alcohol policies are insufficiently implemented in Germany, despite their potential to substantially lower the alcohol-related health burden.

Background: In Germany, most individuals with alcohol dependence are recognized by the health care system and about 16% per year receive addiction-specific care. This paper aimed to analyze the prevalence and treatment utilization rate of people with alcohol dependence by type of addiction-specific care in the federal state of Bremen using routine and survey data. Methods: The number of individuals with alcohol dependence was estimated using data from the 2018 Epidemiological Survey of Substance Abuse (ESA). Furthermore, linked routine data of two statutory health insurances (SHIs), the German pension insurance (GPI), and the communal hospital group Gesundheit Nord – Bremen Hospital Group (GeNo), from 2016/2017, were analyzed. Based on SHI data, the administrative prevalence of various alcohol-related diagnoses according to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10), in various treatment settings, was extrapolated to the total population of Bremen. Based on all routine data sources, treatment and care services for individuals with alcohol dependence were also extrapolated to Bremen’s total population. Care services included outpatient addiction care visits and addiction-specific treatments, [i.e., qualified withdrawal treatment (QWT), outpatient pharmacotherapy as relapse prevention, and rehabilitation treatment]. Results: Of the survey-estimated 15,792 individuals with alcohol dependence in Bremen, 72.4% (n = 11,427) had a diagnosis documented with an ICD-10 code for alcohol dependence (F10.2) or withdrawal state (F10.3–4). One in 10 individuals with alcohol dependence (n = 1,577) used one or more addiction-specific care services during the observation period. Specifically, 3.7% (n = 675) received outpatient addiction care, 3.9% (n = 736) initiated QWT, 0.8% (n = 133) received pharmacotherapy, and 2.6% (n = 405) underwent rehabilitation treatment. The share of seeking addiction-specific treatment after diagnosis was highest among younger and male patient

Background and Aims: In India, alcohol per capita consumption (APC) has substantially increased over the past 2 decades. Although consumption does vary across the country, consistent state-level data are lacking. We aimed to identify all state-level alcohol exposure estimates since 2000 to (i) model consistent current drinking (CD) (12 months) prevalence estimates for all 36 states/union territories (UT) in 2019 and (ii) compare state-level CD trends with national-level APC trends. Design: A systematic review for studies on the Indian state-level prevalence of CD, lifetime abstinence (LA), alcohol use disorders (AUD) or the quantity of alcohol consumed among current drinkers (QU) was conducted. Subsequently, statistical modelling was applied. Setting: Data were collected and modelled for all Indian states/UTs. Participants: Studies since 2000 referring to the general adult population (≥15 years) of at least one Indian state/UT were eligible. The total sample size covered was 29 600 000 (males: females, 1:1.6). Measurements: Results on LA, AUD and QU were summarized descriptively. For (i) the state-, sex- and age-specific CD prevalence was estimated using random intercept fractional response models. For (ii) random intercept and slope models were performed. Findings: Of 2870 studies identified, 30 were retained for data extraction. LA, AUD and QU data were available for 31, 36 and 12 states/UTs, respectively. CD model estimates ranged from 6.4% (95% CI = 2.1%–18.1%; males) in Lakshadweep and 1.3% (95% CI = 0.7%–2.6%; females) in Delhi to 76.1% (95% CI = 68.1%–82.6%; males) and 63.7% (95% CI = 49.4%–75.7%; females) in Arunachal Pradesh. Over time, CD decreased in most states/UTs in the observed data, contradicting increasing national-level APC trends. Conclusions: Alcohol use (measured as consistent current drinking) in India has large regional variations, with alcohol consumption being most prevalent in the North-East, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Himachal Pradesh, Punja

Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic may have led to an increase in the alcohol-specific mortality. Against this backdrop, the aim of this report is to explore alcohol-specific mortality trends in Germany of the years 2010 to 2020. Method Alcohol-specific mortality data aggregated by sex, 5-year age groups and state were collected from the annual cause-of-death statistics and analysed descriptively by visual inspection. Results The overall alcohol-specific mortality rate (age-standardised) has mainly decreased between 2010 and 2020. However, increased alcohol-specific mortality rates for the year 2020 compared to 2019 were found for both, women (+4.8%) and men (+5.5%), particularly in age groups between 40 and 69 years. Changes in alcohol-specific mortality rates differed between federated states, with steeper increases in East Germany. Discussion and Conclusions Different mechanisms related to the increase in alcohol consumption, particularly among high-risk drinkers, and reduced resources in health care may have led to an increase in alcohol-specific mortality in Germany in 2020. Despite the recent decline in the alcohol-specific mortality in Germany, an increase in the death toll was observed in 2020.

Numerous studies have examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on alcohol use changes in Europe, with concerns raised regarding increased use and related harms. Approach. We synthesised observational studies published between 1 January 2020 and 31 September 2021 on self-reported changes in alcohol use associated with COVID-19. Electronic databases were searched for studies evaluating individual data from European general and clinical populations. We identified 646 reports, of which 56 general population studies were suitable for random-effects meta-analyses of proportional differences in alcohol use changes. Variations by time, sub-region and study quality were assessed in subsequent meta-regressions. Additional 16 reports identified were summarised narratively. Key Findings. Compiling reports measuring changes in overall alcohol use, slightly more individuals indicated a decrease than an increase in their alcohol use during the pandemic [3.8%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.00–7.6%]. Decreases were also reported more often than increases in drinking frequency (8.0%, 95% CI 2.7–13.2%), quantity consumed (12.2%, 95% CI 8.3–16.2%) and heavy episodic drinking (17.7%, 95% CI 13.6–21.8%). Among people with pre-existing high drinking levels/alcohol use disorder, high-level drinking patterns appear to have solidified or intensified. Implications. Pandemic-related changes in alcohol use may be associated with pre-pandemic drinking levels. Increases among high-risk alcohol users are concerning, suggesting a need for ongoing monitoring and support from relevant health-care services. Conclusion. Our findings suggest that more people reduced their alcohol use in Europe than increased it since the onset of the pandemic. However high-quality studies examining specific change mechanisms at the population level are lacking.

Aim Recording the frequency of screenings for problematic alcohol consumption by professionals involved in the health care of respective patients. The German S3-guideline screening, diagnosis and treatment of alcohol-related disorders recommends the use of questionnaire-based screenings for all patients in all settings. Methods Cross-sectional survey on screening frequency among general practitioners, gynecologists, psychiatrists, child- and adolescent therapists, psychotherapists, social workers and midwives. Logistic regression was used to explore how healthcare professionals' attributes were associated with the implementation of screenings. Results With response rates of about 20%, health care professionals reported using screening instruments for an average of 6.9% of all patients during the previous four weeks. Most of the time, custom-made questions were used instead of the recommended instruments (AUDIT, AUDIT-C). Higher screening rates were reported for patients with newly diagnosed hypertension (21.2%), alcohol-related disorders (43.3%) and mental disorders (39.3%). Knowledge of the guideline was associated with implementation of screenings (OR=4.67; 95% KI 1.94-11.25, p<0.001). Conclusions Comprehensive screening for problematic alcohol use with questionnaire-based instruments in accordance with guidelines is far from being routinely implemented in the studied health care settings. Measures to increase the knowledge of the guidelines are necessary in order to increase the frequency of alcohol screening in health care., Ziel Erfassung der Häufigkeit, mit der zentral in die Gesundheitsversorgung der Zielgruppe eingebundene Berufsgruppen auf problematischen Alkoholkonsum screenen. Die S3-Leitlinie „Screening, Diagnose und Behandlung alkoholbezogener Störungen“ empfiehlt „allen Patient/innen in allen Settings“ ein fragebogenbasiertes Screening anzubieten. Methodik Querschnittsstudie zur Umsetzungshäufigkeit von Screenings auf problematischen Alkoholkonsum durch Fachärzt/innen (Allgemein- und Innere Medizin, Gynäkologie, Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Pädiatrie, Kinder- und Jugend- Psychiatrie), Psychotherapeut/innen, Sozialarbeiter/innen und Hebammen/Geburtshelfer in der Modellregion Bremen. Mittels logistischer Regression wurden behandler/innenseitige Einflussfaktoren auf die Umsetzung von Screenings exploriert. Ergebnisse Mit Rücklaufquoten von etwa 20% berichteten die verschiedenen Berufsgruppen, durchschnittlich bei 6,9% aller behandelten Patient/innen innerhalb der zurückliegenden 4 Wochen ein fragebogenbasiertes Alkoholscreening durchgeführt zu haben. Meist wurden eigene Formulierungen anstatt empfohlener Instrumente (AUDIT, AUDIT-C) genutzt. Höhere Screeningraten wurden für Patient/innen mit neu diagnostiziertem Bluthochdruck (21,2%), alkoholassoziierten Folgeerkrankungen (43,3%) und psychischen Störungen (39,3%) berichtet. Die Kenntnis der S3-Leitlinie war mit einer häufigeren Umsetzung von Screenings verbunden (OR=4,67; 95% KI 1,94–11,25, p<0,001). Schlussfolgerungen Das von der Leitlinie empfohlene flächendeckende, fragebogenbasierte Screening auf problematischen Alkoholkonsum ist von einer praktischen Umsetzung weit entfernt. Maßnahmen zu einer breiteren Bekanntmachung der S3-Leitlinie erscheinen sinnvoll, um eine häufigere Anwendung von Alkoholscreenings im Gesundheitswesen zu fördern.

Aims: Due to large inconsistencies in previous studies, it remains unclear how alcohol use is related to health care utilization. The aim of this study was to examine associations between alcohol drinking status with utilization of outpatient and inpatient health care services in Germany. Methodology: Survey data of the GEDA 2014/2015-EHIS study with n = 23,561 German adults were analyzed (response rate: 27 %). Respondents were categorized as lifetime abstainers, former drinkers, and non-weekly drinkers, as well as weekly low-risk drinkers and risky drinkers. Outpatient services included GP, specialist, and hospital visits; inpatient services included hospital overnight stays in the last 12 months. For both settings, binary logistic regression models were applied, adjusted for possible confounders. Results: For specialist visits, elevated odds were found among former drinkers (odds ratio (OR) = 1.93, 95 % confidence interval (95 % CI) = 1.50-2.49), non-weekly drinkers (OR = 1.24, 95 % CI = 1.05-1.47), weekly low-risk drinkers (OR = 1.39, 95 % CI = 1.17-1.67), and risky drinkers (OR = 1.28, 95 % CI = 1.04-1.57) compared to lifetime abstainers. In contrast, lower odds for inpatient service use were found among non-weekly drinkers (OR = 0.76, 95 % CI = 0.62-0.93), low-risk drinkers (OR = 0.66, 95 % CI = 0.53-0.81), and risky drinkers (OR = 0.65, 95 % CI = 0.51-0.84). No differences were observed for GP and outpatient hospital visits. Conclusions: While the increased odds of consulting a specialist are consistent with higher health care needs among former and current drinkers, the lower use of inpatient care among current drinkers is contrary to known health risks associated with alcohol consumption and evidence from hospitalized populations. The findings also highlight the need to differentiate between lifetime abstainers and former drinkers in their use of health services.

Background and Aims: The relationship between alcohol consumption and cirrhosis is well established. Policies that can influence population-level use of alcohol should, in turn, impact cirrhosis. We examined the effect of population-level alcohol control policies on cirrhosis mortality rates in Lithuania - a high-income European Union country with high levels of alcohol consumption. Methods: Age-standardized, monthly liver mortality data (deaths per 100,000 adults, aged 15+) from Lithuania were analysed from 2001 to 2018 (n = 216 months) while controlling for economic confounders (gross domestic product and inflation). An interrupted time-series analysis was conducted to estimate the effect of three alcohol control policies implemented in 2008, 2017 and 2018 and the number of cirrhosis deaths averted. Results: There was a significant effect of the 2008 (P < .0001) and 2017 (P = .0003) alcohol control policies but a null effect of the 2018 policy (P = .40). Following the 2008 policy, the cirrhosis mortality rate dropped from 4.93 to 3.41 (95% CI: 3.02-3.80) deaths per 100,000 adults, which equated to 493 deaths averted. Further, we found that following the 2017 policy, the mortality rate dropped from 2.85 to 2.01 (95% CI: 1.50-2.52) deaths per 100,000 adults, corresponding to 245 deaths averted. Conclusions: Our findings support the hypothesis that alcohol control policies can have a significant, immediate effect on cirrhosis mortality. These policy measures are cost-effective and aid in reducing the burden of liver disease.

Alcohol measurement in health care settings is an effective intervention for reducing alcohol-related harm. However, in many countries, costs related to alcohol measurement have not yet been transparently assessed, which may hinder its adoption and implementation. Costs of an alcohol measurement programme in three upper-middle-income Latin American countries were assessed via questionnaires and compared, as part of the quasi-experimental SCALA study. Additional to the intervention costs, the costs of three implementation strategies: standard training and clinical package, intensive training and clinical package, and community support, were assessed and subsequently translated into costs per additional alcohol measurement session. Results demonstrated that costs for one alcohol measurement session ranged between Int$ 0.67 and Int$ 1.23 in Colombia, Int$ 1.19 and Int$ 2.57 in Mexico, and Int$ 1.11 and Int$ 2.14 in Peru. Costs were mainly driven by the salaries of the health professionals. Implementation strategies costs per additional alcohol measurement session ranged between Int$ 1.24 and Int$ 6.17. In all three countries, standard training and a clinical package may be a promising implementation strategy with a relatively low cost per additional alcohol measurement session.